Review: Is Ylands Worth Playing in 2026?

Game Overview.

Why Does Ylands Exist?

Ylands just does not seem to have much of a reason for existing, especially when the developers already had very popular games on their hands in the form of Arma and DayZ.

I mean, Ylands is not a bad game, but it started relatively late in 2016, at a point when games like Roblox and Minecraft had already secured the genre. By the time Ylands was released in any sort of state that could reasonably be classed as content ready, Fortnite had already started moving into its Creative mode, which basically outclasses Ylands in virtually every way.

Honestly, I am surprised Bohemia Interactive kept developing Ylands for as long as it did because virtually nobody ever seems to play it.

Ylands Never Found Its Audience

Even the games that are popular within Ylands often have only a handful of players, while games that are not popular have virtually no players at all.

There are a few creations that have accumulated a couple of thousand ratings, but those ratings have been gathered across multiple years. They are not evidence of some large, thriving current community.

Again, Ylands is not a bad game, and the visuals are attractive for what they are, and at launch they were also relatively unique, with most survival games opting for more realistic visuals, aimed at an older audience.

The problem is that games need to be made to appeal to a certain demographic, or they need to have the ability to create one of their own. Frankly, Ylands just never managed either.

The developers changed the focus of Ylands so many times over the years, trying to chase new trends, that by the time they finally settled on one that worked, the community had moved on.

What Ylands eventually became, allowing people to create their own worlds, mini-games, scenarios and narrative adventures, is actually a decent concept.

The problem is that by then other games had already captured that audience on a scale Ylands could never realistically compete with.

Too Little, Too Late

The difference in player numbers is enormous.

On Steam, Ylands currently averages around 45 concurrent players, with a peak of 93 players over the last 30 days.

Its nearest rivals technologically and conceptually are operating on an entirely different level. Fortnite and Roblox have millions of players, and some individual Fortnite modes have reached player counts that make the comparison with Ylands almost ridiculous.

When LEGO Fortnite originally launched, for example, it attracted more than 2.4 million concurrent players.

That is more than two million people playing one experience at the same time, compared with Ylands, where its entire Steam population can regularly be counted in the dozens.

Games with only a few dozen concurrent players at peak times simply cannot compete with platforms operating at that sort of scale.

That also makes me question how long Ylands can realistically continue receiving meaningful development and support. I do not know how long it is going to remain around, and with a player population this small, that is something I would seriously consider before investing much time or money into it.

The Move to Free-to-Play Was Fair

One thing I will give Bohemia Interactive credit for is how fairly it handled the move to a free-to-play model.

Those of us who had already bought Ylands were awarded premium currency when the business model changed, including those of us who had not paid full price for the game, but had purchased it via sales or bundle.

I thought that was pretty fair.

They could easily have simply made the game free and left the people who had already paid for it with nothing, so I do think Bohemia deserves credit for the way it handled that transition.

Unfortunately, that does not change the fundamental problem with Ylands.

Ylands FAQ

Ylands is an free-to-play adventure game developed and published by Bohemia Interactive, it released on 5 December 2019, and is available on Android, IOS, Nintendo Switch and PC.

Is Cross-Platform Multiplayer Supported?

Ylands supports:

• ☑ Cross-Platform Multiplayer

Crossplay Exists between PC and Mobile only, with the Switch community remaining isolated. 

Is There Group Finding/Matchmaking Support?

Ylands offers the following matchmaking options:

• ☑ Solo Matchmaking
• ☑ Group Matchmaking
• ☑ Server Browser

Are There In-Game Microtransactions?

The Ylands in-game store sells:

• ☑ Cosmetic Items
• ☑ Cosmetic Item Bundles
• ☑ Starter Packs

What Peripherals Are Supported?

Ylands supports the following peripherals:

• ☑ Console - Controller
• ☑ PC - Mouse and Keyboard
• ☑ Mobile - Touch Controls

Is There Any Mature Content?

Ylands is rated PEGI 12+ and contains:

• ☑ Cartoon Violence

Final Verdict.

Ultimately, Ylands is not a bad game.

There are good ideas here, the visual style is attractive, and after changing direction numerous times over the years, the developers eventually settled on a concept that works: allowing players to create their own worlds, mini-games, scenarios and narrative adventures.

The problem is that they found that direction far too late.

Minecraft and Roblox had already secured enormous audiences, and Fortnite later moved heavily into the same creative space with a player population and level of support that Ylands could never realistically compete with.

Ultimately, it is just not worth playing. I cannot recommend it, I do not know how long it is going to remain around, and I certainly do not recommend renting a private server for a game whose entire Steam population, as we speak, can regularly be counted in the dozens.

A decent game, but not one I can recommend.

Is Ylands Worth Playing?

We found Ylands to be a poor game, meaning that while it has some redeeming qualities, it's ultimately disappointing and not recommended for most gamers.